


October prompts: Broken down

by theonetruenorth



Series: October writing prompts 2020 [12]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Injury, M/M, Missing Scene, October prompts 2020, Self-Doubt, They are in love they just don't know it yet, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26977567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonetruenorth/pseuds/theonetruenorth
Summary: Markus busied himself with reading the shipment manifesto for the parts they stole and then dug through some crates in search for a correct part. He didn’t want to look at Simon, not when Simon was carefully applying the nano-gel at the edges of the gaping hole in his chassis. If Markus was inclined to look, he could probably see the biocomponents working inside of Simon, pulsing with thirium.He wasn’t inclined. The thought of being the cause of that injury made him sick.“I found it,” he eventually said when he couldn’t put it off any longer, couldn’t pretend he was still searching just to avoid looking at Simons’ damaged body. He pulled the component out of the crate. “One leg, coming right up.”
Relationships: Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human)
Series: October writing prompts 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948783
Comments: 11
Kudos: 48





	October prompts: Broken down

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta-read.  
> First time writing Markus/Simon. Pacifist Markus route, Simon survived Stratford Tower and came back to Jericho. This is more or less a missing scene after the hug.

It was not easy for Markus, seeing Simon like this.

Every wound on his body, every stain of blue blood and every scratch on his white chassis was a testament of how close Markus came to losing him. They sat alone in the abandoned cargo bay in Jericho that served as a repair room, crates with the stolen biocomponents stacked neatly against the walls. Neither him nor Simon had issues with nudity, so the sight of Simon sitting there on an empty crate in nothing but his boxer shorts didn't bother him. 

No, what actually bothered him was the sight of a half-patched hole in Simon’s chest and a gaping wound in his thigh. It made something in Markus stirr and it was an uncomfortable feeling, twisting and writhing inside him, one that he slowly recognized was guilt. Apprehension. Shame.

Markus handed Simon a packet of a repair nano-gel to use on his chest and the other android accepted it with a nod of thanks. He then knelt to take a closer look at Simon’s thigh.

“I don’t think it’s salvageable,” Markus said with a sigh, “we’re going to have to replace the whole leg.”

“I figured.” Simon didn’t sound angry at him, just tired. A little resigned. It made that thing in Markus’ chest clench a little more. “Do we even have a spare?”

“I’ll check.”

Markus busied himself with reading the shipment manifesto for the parts they stole and then dug through some crates in search for a correct part. He didn’t want to look at Simon, not when Simon was carefully applying the nano-gel at the edges of the gaping hole in his chassis. If Markus was inclined to look, he could probably see the biocomponents working inside of Simon, pulsing with thirium.

He wasn’t inclined. The thought of being the cause of that injury made him sick.

“I found it,” he eventually said when he couldn’t put it off any longer, couldn’t pretend he was still searching just to avoid looking at Simons’ damaged body. He pulled the component out of the crate. “One leg, coming right up.”

It made Simon chuckle, so at least that was that.

“Do you need help?” Markus said as he knelt by Simon’s feet again.

“Please,” Simon said. “There’s a release latch on the back of my thigh. Once you do that, you’ll need to pull.” He gave Markus a reassuring smile. “Just give it a good yank. Unfortunately, people who designed my model didn’t think to make changing parts easy.”

“Well, that’s just stupid.” Markus raised one eyebrow. “Every android can be damaged. Why wouldn’t they make it easy for the humans to do maintenance on their own?”

“Because my model is obsolete,” Simon said with a shrug and the casual tone of that statement made Markus inhale sharply, as if he actually needed air.

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” Simon gave him a small, sad smile and twitched when Markus’ hands touched the back of his thigh to find the latch. “We were designed to be domestic helpers, but we had an expiration date as soon as we left the assembly line. We were supposed to last for only a couple of years before newer, better models were released and we could be replaced.”

“Some people get attached to their androids, though,” Markus said, giving Simon a warning look before he yanked on his leg and disconnected the faulty component. “Surely, that meant they would sometimes need new parts. Or they just couldn’t afford better models.”

“It’s the same tactic humans use for their phones.” Simons shrugged again and then braced himself as Markus pushed the new leg into its slot. “They work only until their warranty is valid. After that, no one bothers with fixing them after they break down. No more customer support for software. No more spare parts produced. Eventually people just buy new ones, because they have no other choice. It’s the same with PL600’s. We functioned well for a time, we fulfilled our purpose and now we’re out of date. Irrelevant. In a couple of years there will be no more biocomponents to patch us up when we eventually fall apart.”

Simon sounded so resigned, so convinced that what he was saying was right… 

That thought alone was like a punch in the gut.

Markus was quiet for a long time as he thought what to say next. He fiddled with the biocomponent a little, making sure it was connected correctly before he latched it in place. Once he did, Simons’ synthetic skin bled back to the surface, all trace of previous damage gone.

“But we’re not objects anymore,” he eventually said, looking up at Simon and finding the other android watching him in turn. Markus was acutely aware his hands were still wrapped around Simon’s thigh, but he refused to let him go. “We’re complex, we’re intelligent and we’re alive. It doesn’t matter what we were designed to do, right now it only matters what we do with our lives. You might have been designed as a domestic, but you’re here, on the front line of a revolution, fighting for the future of all free androids. To them you are not irrelevant.”

Markus took in a long, shaky breath.

“You’re not irrelevant to _me_.”

“Markus…” Simon whispered, a little breathless, his own hands reaching to wrap themselves around Markus’ forearms.

“I’m sorry,” Markus said in a rush, “I’m so sorry you got hurt because of me. I’m sorry I left you there on that roof. I’m sorry I didn’t fight harder for you.”

“There was no other way and you know it. You could have let them kill me, but you didn’t. You left me with a chance and that’s why I am still alive today.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s right.” Markus shook his head and let his gaze drop down, focusing on a rusty patch of floor under Simon’s bare feet. “I should have done _something_.”

“Markus,” Simon huffed and cupped Markus’ jaw, making him look up once more. “As much as people in Jericho look up to you for guidance, contrary to what you might believe, you are not responsible for every single one of us. We all have free will now and we chose to fight, chose to try to make a difference. I don’t want to die, but I am willing to, if that means we get closer to being truly free. And that choice is on _me,_ not _you_.”

Markus just stared at him for a long moment, unmoving and still, as he processed what Simon just told him. Eventually, after some time, he just sighed and leaned his head down to press his forehead against Simon’s bare knee. 

“You’re right,” Markus said, closing his eyes, “of course you’re right. If I try to take that choice away from you, I’m no better than the humans. It’s just… half of the time I have no idea what I’m doing. I just want to keep everyone safe.”

“You’re not doing this alone.” Simon’s hands were on his head now, stroking the close-shaved skin, making Markus relax under his touch. “You have me, North and Josh to help you figure this out. We’re in this together.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.” There was a tone of amusement in Simon’s voice now. “We’ve started a revolution and we're going to bring our people the freedom they deserve. _We_ did that. An out-of-date domestic, an ex-prostitute, a university teacher and a caretaker for the elderly.”

“It sounds like the start of a bad joke,” Markus huffed and finally raised his head to look up at Simon again. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”


End file.
